Helping the hapless: PM Nawaz gives nod to health insurance scheme

Rs1 billion was kept in the budget for soft launch.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday approved the National Health Insurance Scheme for the benefit of hapless citizens. The scheme, in phases, would cover around 100 million people.

According to details, an insurance scheme is being designed and that the scheme would be materialised with the involvement of provincial governments and will help the poor. A provision of Rs1 billion was kept in the budget for launching this scheme on pilot basis, which will be rapidly replicated in increasingly larger number of districts.

The prime minister chaired a meeting in this regard to formally launch the health insurance programme. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Chairperson PM Youth Programme Maryam Nawaz, Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Tarar and senior officers of health and finance ministries.

Maryam gave a detailed briefing to the premier in which comparative study of major health blanket models of European Union, United States and India, and options for implementing the scheme in Pakistan were discussed.

Nawaz said, “Health insurance programme is the only way forward to provide health care protection to economically deprived people of society. The scheme is the first of its kind to introduce a grievance compensation system as well as social security safety net for the poor citizens.” “The programme will not only give the vulnerable sections of society an access to cash free health facilities but will also help develop and revolutionise the health infrastructure across Pakistan,” he added. He further said, “The scheme will also enhance public-private partnership in Pakistan and will open up further avenues for investment”.

The premier was briefed that the scheme would be completely apolitical and would provide a blanket for cash free treatment to the poor for major illnesses like Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes Mellitus and complications, Burna and RTA (Life and limb saving treatment, implants, prosthesis), End-stage renal diseases and dialysis, Chronic infections (Hepatitis), Organ failure (Hepatic, Renal, Cardiopulmonary) and Cancer treatment (Chemo, Radio, Surgery).

The meeting also decided to establish the first ever state-of-the-art public sector human organ transplant centre in Islamabad. Nawaz directed the ministries of finance and health to coordinate and finalise the technical modalities and implementation strategy in minimum possible time so that an early relief could be given to the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2014.